The Truth About Lies
by Willow-Bane
Summary: With Pitch having been defeated, he succumbs to his nightmares. Meanwhile, Jack is having a difficult time adjusting to his increase in power. However, when a new threat approaches, will Jack and the others be able to win? Especially since what they thought was true turned out to be nothing more than a lie?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer – I do not own _Rise of the Guardians_

*Rated T for Teen (Unless Otherwise Noted; Rating Might Go Up)

* * *

**Summary: **With Pitch having been defeated, he succumbs to his nightmares. Meanwhile, Jack is having a difficult time adjusting to his increase in power. However, when a new threat approaches, will Jack and the others be able to win? Especially since what they thought was true turned out to be nothing more than a lie?

**Author's Note:** Due to a request, someone wanted a multi-chapter fic. So here it is! I'll update as quickly as I can! Enjoy the teaser prologue!

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**Prologue**

The Man in the Moon had always had a plan. That didn't mean it had always been a _good_ plan, but a plan nevertheless. Everything would eventually fall into place and the world he watched over would be as it should.

Or so he'd thought.

Life didn't really work that way. He was beginning to understand that now. He couldn't control everything, no matter how hard he tried. Even though he was the one to create his pawns, he was never in control of their moves. Free will inhibited him from doing just that.

Until he'd found a way around it.

Taking someone's memories had never been part of the plan, but it had worked…for a time, at least. It had gotten the job done until he'd realized the flaw.

You could never change a person. Not really. Whether a person's memories were present within them or not, that individual would eventually end up as the same person deep down inside of themselves.

But there was a way around that. And it had gotten things back on track once more.

A funny thing, teeth. Easy to create and even easier to manipulate. If a dream seemed real enough, it could be mistaken for a memory, a memory of childhood. So he'd done what he had to for the greater good.

But there was another flaw in his plan. One he hadn't realized until it was too late. A lie couldn't stay hidden forever. Just as a secret, one day, someone was bound to find out the truth.

It was too late to fix that now. He just had to sit back and watch as his pieces moved across the board one space at a time. However, he was still a ways from checkmate. And he still had a few more pawns left to move.

* * *

**Author's Note – Ooh! How's that for a start? Are your minds racing with speculation?**


	2. The First Incident

Disclaimer – I do not own _Rise of the Guardians_

*Rated T for Teen (Unless Otherwise Noted; Rating Might Go Up)

* * *

**Author's Note:** As a side note, most of the _Rise of the Guardians _characters will be in this fic, including Bunnymund, Sandy, etc. I can only add so many "visible" characters to the fic. The same thing goes for genre. We'll get a little bit of everything, including family and friendship.

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**The First Incident**

Tooth had been extremely worried about Jack lately. He'd been spacing out ever since they'd defeated Pitch several months ago. It was enough to get her feathers ruffled.

When she'd addressed her concerns to the other Guardians, North had said that perhaps Jack was uncomfortable around so many people for once and that he needed time to adjust and get to know everyone a little bit better.

That was what had led Tooth to inviting Jack over to Tooth Palace for a little fun.

"Jack, hurry up!" urged Tooth excitedly as she zipped around him.

The winter spirit chuckled. "I'm comin', I'm comin'," he said cheerfully. "Now, what is it that you wanted to show me?"

Tooth giggled and took his hand. A swarm of her fairies pushed Jack along so that he could follow her. "Here we are," she said finally.

"Here we—whoa," he said, taking in the sight. Tooth had taken him to what he could only assume was a large garden, but not just any garden. It looked like a mini water park. There were numerous trees that nearly reached the sky and so many colorful plants that Jack was having a hard time taking it all in.

In the center of the garden was a large rock formation surrounded by a big pond. Lily pads and duckweed floated on the surface, but it didn't obstruct his view of the bottom of the pond. The water was so clear that he could see tiny fishes darting about. But that wasn't the best part.

There was a rock shaped slide leading into the pond. Water ran down the slide almost like a waterfall. It looked like fun. He chanced a glance at Tooth. "Can we…?"

Tooth's eyes lit up. "Of course we can!" she exclaimed. "Let's have some fun!"

Jack smiled as he watched Tooth zoom off toward the top of the slide with some fairies trailing behind. They slid down and made a huge splash in the pond, startling the fish.

"Come on, Jack," urged Tooth, beckoning him over with a wave of her hand.

He took a hesitant step forward. "But…the water will freeze if I—."

"That's okay," cut in Tooth. "You can freeze the slide and the surface of the pond. We can still have fun."

His heart swelling with joy, Jack let the wind lift him to the top of the slide. "Are you guys ready?" he asked, making sure that everyone was out of the pond. The others nodded their heads vigorously. "Here we go."

Jack tapped the top of the slide with his staff. Ice swirled down the length of the slide until it reached the pond, where the surface completely froze over. He laughed in excitement. "Come on, Baby Tooth!"

Baby Tooth flew to his shoulder and sat down while Jack did the same on the slide. Pushing himself off, they slid all the way down. When they reached the pond, they spun in several circles before stopping.

"That looks like so much fun!" said Tooth. She raced to the top with some more of her fairies and did the same as Jack had done. Once she reached the bottom, she got up dizzily, but there was still a broad smile on her face. "This is great, Jack. Are you enjoying yourself?"

Jack paused and gave her a warm smile. "Yeah, I really am."

"Good! Last one to the top is a rotten Easter egg!" she cried as she flew back to the top of the slide.

"Oh, it's on!"

* * *

"I don't think I've had this much fun in a long time," said Tooth as she stretched. "But duty calls."

"Already?" Jack said, looking put out.

Tooth laughed. "You're welcome to stay, Jack. You can still play with the fairies that aren't busy at the moment."

The winter spirit thought about that for a minute. "Okay," he said finally.

"All right. I'll be back in a bit," she said before flying off.

Jack hummed to himself and smiled. He'd had so much fun today. It was the most fun he'd had in days. Who knew that the little toothy lady could be so exuberant?

Suddenly, the winter spirit yawned. The warmth of Tooth Palace was starting to get to him; he was getting drowsy.

Hoping to get out of everyone's way while he took a nap, Jack moved to the base of one of the large trees in the garden. Snuggling up against the trunk, he began to doze off, his staff slipping from his fingers.

* * *

"Jack! Wake up!" Tooth stated urgently, roughly shaking the winter spirit awake.

"What's g-going on?" he replied through a yawn.

"You need to stop."

"Stop. Stop what?" he asked, confusion evident in his voice. Tooth's eyes showed worry and concern.

"The snow!" she said, moving so that she was now out of his line of vision.

Jack's heart sank. Nearly half of Tooth Palace was covered in a thick blanket of snow. And it was still snowing. Why was it still snowing?

Grabbing his staff, he let the wind carry him around so that he could see the damage. It was awful. What had he done?

Looking up at the sky, he lifted his staff, concentrating. The snow finally ceased falling.

"Oh, dear," Tooth kept muttering, gathering up her shivering fairies.

"I'm sorry," Jack said brokenly, his eyes misting over with grief. "I'll fix this." Closing his eyes, he concentrated once more, this time on the snow surrounding them.

Tooth gasped as the snow started lifting into the sky. There it seemed to have formed a dark cloud. And with the wave of Jack's staff, the wind carried the giant cloud filled with snow away, presumably somewhere that needed it.

"Jack—."

"I'm so sorry," said Jack again. "I'm so, so sorry. It won't happen again. I'll leave."

"Jack, you don't need to…leave," she sighed as she watched his retreating form. It hurt her to see him so upset. He hadn't made it snow on purpose. It was an accident. He did know that, didn't he?

* * *

Tooth quickly made her way to the North Pole, Baby Tooth following her. She had to talk to North about Jack. She was really worried.

"Phil?" she called once she arrived in the workshop. "Can you take me to North, please? It's about Jack."

The yeti nodded and led her to North's office. Phil made sure to knock. He didn't want another scene with the ice sculpture again.

"Yes, yes. Come in," said North.

Phil nodded to Tooth and urged her to go inside. Cautiously, she fluttered into the office and landed lightly on the floor. "North?"

The large man looked up in surprise. "Tooth! What brings you here? Cookie?" he offered.

"No, thank you," she replied with a strained smile. "It's about Jack."

"Jack? Is something wrong? Is he hurt? Did Pitch—?"

"No, no!" she said quickly. "Nothing like that!"

North settled back down. "Then what is it, Tooth?"

"There was…an accident at Tooth Palace," she started slowly, trying to figure out the best way to explain herself. "I invited Jack over for some fun with my fairies. After awhile I left to attend my duties and I guess he fell asleep. Then…it started snowing. And I mean _really_ snowing. Half of Tooth Palace was covered in snow!"

"Why would Jack do that?"

"He didn't!" she insisted. "At least, not intentionally. When I found him, he was asleep. I woke him up. I think I startled him. And when he saw all of the snow, he just kept apologizing. He looked so…so broken. Jack fixed everything, but then he just fled. I don't know where he is and why he was so upset. It was just an accident."

North scratched his beard, thinking. "Yes. It sounds like accident to me. Hm. Maybe…maybe his believers are giving him more powers, yes? Maybe he cannot control them yet."

Tooth thought on this for a minute. That did sound like a possibility. "So what do we do?"

"I will talk to Jack. Let him know everything is okay. We know it was accident. He did not intend to do any harm. He will understand," replied North with a nod.

"Okay," said Tooth. But she still wasn't sure if things would be all right. North hadn't seen the devastated look in Jack's eyes. What was going on with the poor spirit?

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**Author's Note – So, do you guys like this so far? Any thoughts or is there anything you want to happen? I'm open to suggestions!**

**Please review!**


	3. Pitch's Nightmare

Disclaimer – I do not own _Rise of the Guardians_

*Rated T for Teen (Unless Otherwise Noted; Rating Might Go Up)

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thanks, you guys, for the sweet reviews! I really enjoy reading them! Now, on with the story!

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**Pitch's Nightmare**

Pitch lay motionless on the floor of his lair as he stared up at the ceiling. Not that he could really see anything. It was dark, far too dark. Why was it always so dark?

He hesitantly flexed his fingers and heard them crack slightly in the deafening silence. He froze. When nothing happened, he began to relax.

It had been months since he'd moved from this spot. The Nightmares had dragged him down to the depths of his lair and kept him confined. Pitch wasn't allowed to sleep, to eat, or even move. Dark voices had whispered horrible things to him, tormenting his mind until he was left helpless and weak.

And then it had stopped.

Pitch took a deep breath and steeled himself for the worst as he sat up. His head swam, but it was still quiet. Growing bold, he made to stand up.

_"__Useless!"_

The whispers were back. They hadn't left at all. They'd only meant to give him false hope.

Scrambling blindly to the far side of the wall, Pitch pressed his back flat up against it.

_"__Useless! So useless!"_

_"__Find another! Must find another!"_

_"__Useless!"_

Pitch covered his ears with his hands. "Stop!" he shouted. He wasn't sure if he could take the horrid whispers anymore.

And just as suddenly, they stopped. Carefully, he removed his hands from his ears and listened.

Nothing.

_"__Failure! You're a failure!"_

The whispers returned full force.

_"__Can't even keep your family safe!"_

_"__Dead! All dead!"_

_"__Useless!"_

_"__Failure!"_

_"__You betrayed them!"_

_ "__Useless!"_

_"__You failed them!"_

_"__Must find another!"_

"No!" Pitch cried. Clambering to his feet, he ran, the whispers following him. He had to get out. He had to leave this wretched place. But he couldn't see anything. Why was it _so_ dark?

Pitch stumbled and landed on his knees, breathing hard. "I just want to leave. Please, let me leave," he mumbled over and over again.

Unexpectedly, he felt something warm touch his face. Lifting his head, he saw a tiny ray of light touching him. The warmth came from the light. He stretched out his hand and touched it, a smile coming to his ragged face. Feeling strength he didn't know he still had surge through him, Pitch stood back up and followed the light.

Down the dark tunnel he went until he found the source of the glow. There was a small hole in the earth above him, barely the size of a coin, in which the small beam was coming through. Pitch clawed at the hole with his hands, shedding more light into the dark lair. When there was enough space for him to crawl through, he climbed to the surface.

Drawing himself out of the hole he'd dug, Pitch collapsed on the ground, breathing in fresh air for the first time in months. No longer was he breathing in the stale atmosphere of his lair. It felt good. _He_ felt good.

But something nagging at the back of his mind told him to move, to get as far away from his lair as possible.

Mustering what energy he had left, he stood and aimlessly wandered the woods that surrounded him. The place seemed vaguely familiar, but his mind was too fuzzy to give it much thought.

Finally, Pitch collapsed beneath a tree next to a large, frozen pond. He was tired, but he had to keep moving. "I'll just rest…for a bit," he muttered before his eyes drifted closed.

* * *

Jack landed softly on a snow bank of the outskirts of Burgess. His mind was still racing over what had happened at Tooth Palace. He hadn't lost control like that since he first became a spirit.

Even then his powers were linked to his emotions. If he got too upset or excited, he could cause a blizzard. If he was startled or nervous, it would just snow lightly. But he'd been asleep when it had snowed at Tooth Palace; heavily, too.

Jack ruffled his hair and sighed. What was he going to do? He lost control. What if the other Guardians tried to reprimand him for his behavior? It wasn't like he'd done it on purpose. And he'd only just gotten them to trust him again—after the Easter incident, that is.

Flopping backward into the snow, Jack stared up at the sky. He clutched his staff to his chest like a lifeline. Maybe…maybe he should just lay low for awhile. Until things blew over. Or at least until he got his powers back under control...somewhat.

A cough soon interrupted his thoughts.

Sitting up in the snow, Jack narrowed his eyes as he peered around the proximate area. There was nothing directly by him and there wasn't anyone on the pond.

But there _was_ someone lying down beneath a tree on the far side of its frozen surface.

Getting up, he used the wind to gently guide him toward the still form. He nearly smacked into a tree when he realized who it was.

"Pitch," he said, staring down at the Nightmare King's motionless figure. His breathing was labored and there was perspiration forming on his brow…in the snow? Upon closer inspection, Jack realized that Pitch looked rather pale and just downright unhealthy. He was skinny and worn. This was not the Pitch he'd faced several months ago.

Kneeling next to him, Jack hesitantly rested his hand against the Nightmare King's forehead. It burned him almost immediately. Ripping his hand away, the winter spirit soon noticed that Pitch's eyes fluttered open.

"Jack?" he started, his voice raspy. Pitch's eyes were glazed over from fever.

"Pitch," stated the winter spirit firmly.

"Get…away," ordered Pitch with as much force as he could muster. The urgency and fear in his eyes was unnerving. "Before they come. Get away."

"Before who comes?" Jack asked, eyebrow raised indifferently.

"Fearlings." How could he make the winter spirit understand?

However, that one word was enough to make Jack's heart slam into his chest. "Fearlings?" he echoed.

"Yes. Go…before they…take you. Away…from the shadows. Get…away," he rasped, his eyes filled with worry before he fell into unconsciousness once more.

Jack glanced in the direction he assumed Pitch had come from. He didn't notice any movement in the distance, but that didn't mean there wasn't anyone—or anything—there. Getting out of here seemed like a good idea. He didn't want to run into any Fearlings.

But why had Pitch warned him? What reason did he have to do so?

Sighing, Jack looked back down at Pitch. He couldn't leave him here. Not in this state. And taking him to one of the other Guardians was out of the question. What was he supposed to do?

He knew that his guilt would eat away at him if he left Pitch here, which meant he had to take the Nightmare King with him. And away from the shadows.

"Let's get you out of here," said Jack as he tugged Pitch into a semi-sitting position. He threw one of Pitch's arms over his shoulder and lifted him by the waist.

Bad idea. The Nightmare King felt like he weighed twice as much as he did.

"Wind, a little help here?"

The wind blew gently around them, helping Jack to lift Pitch.

"Thanks. Now do you think you could get us to Antarctica?"

As if in response, a hefty gale blew under them, lifting them into the sky.

* * *

"Thanks, wind," whispered Jack fondly as he set Pitch down in the snow. He doubted the Fearlings would try to make it all the way down here for a little revenge on Pitch. They were safe, he presumed. For now, at least.

Jack sat back in the snow and stared at the Nightmare King. He had to do something. He couldn't just leave him like this. But it wasn't like he had a first aid kit handy.

"What am I going to do with you?" he sighed. "Let's see if we can get that fever down first, okay?"

The winter spirit didn't expect a response. Pitch was unconscious. It was just that Jack was so used to talking to himself that it seemed to comfort him somewhat. Not to mention it distracted him momentarily from the fact that he was _helping_ the Nightmare King.

Jack scooped up a bit of snow and slapped it onto Pitch's forehead, where it melted instantaneously. "Geez," the winter spirit mumbled.

He grabbed another handful of snow and blew on it, making it even cooler, before placing it on Pitch's head. "There we go," he said with a smile.

Suddenly, Pitch groaned and opened his eyes. "Mn, where…am I?"

"Antarctica. Can't you tell?"

Pitch glanced upward and noticed a tall sculpture made of ice and black sand. He remembered this. He remembered what they'd created. It was so beautiful, but it felt like so long ago. Pitch turned his head back toward Jack. "Why?"

"Why did I bring you here?"

The Nightmare King nodded.

"To get us away from the Fearlings you were talking about," answered Jack as he sat down cross-legged.

Pitch seemed to sigh in relief. "You…got away. Good, good."

"Yeah. What's with that? I'd have thought you'd want them to take me. You did have it in for the Guardians all those months ago," Jack stated, a little resentment rising to the surface.

Pitch shook his head, concern in his eyes. "Didn't…remember then. I know…now. Need to…keep you safe. For her."

"Her? Who's her?" Jack started, looking confused. "Pitch, who's her?"

The winter spirit didn't receive an answer. Pitch had fallen back asleep. But his breathing was still ragged.

Jack sat there for a long time staring at Pitch. There were so many questions swirling in his mind. This wasn't the Nightmare King he remembered at all. He was…different somehow. And the winter spirit felt the urge to help him. But why? After all Pitch had done, why did he feel the need to help him?

Moreover, what would the Guardians think about him helping the one person who'd set out to destroy them?

Rubbing a hand over his eyes, Jack groaned. His thoughts ran back to the way Pitch had looked at him. It was like he…cared about him. Pitch cared about him? That didn't sound right. He wouldn't even expect that in his wildest dreams. But that look in his eyes!

And he needed to find out who this _her_ person was.

"I'll help you," Jack said finally. "And then you'll give me answers." _But I'll have to keep you a secret from them_, he thought to himself. _They can't know about any of this yet_.

It felt like he was betraying the Guardians' trust again, but he didn't have much of a choice right now.

"Wind, take me to the North Pole."

* * *

**Author's Note – I know I'm throwing out a lot more questions than I have answers to at the moment, but hang on tight! We'll learn more about what Pitch is talking about in the next chapter!**


	4. The Second Incident

Disclaimer – I do not own _Rise of the Guardians_

*Rated T for Teen (Unless Otherwise Noted; Rating Might Go Up)

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thank you for all the reviews! It makes me so happy! I also noticed a little speculation going on and it only made me want to build the suspense. This is going to be great!

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**The Second Incident**

When Jack landed at the North Pole, he tried desperately to lay low. He didn't want anyone—not even an elf—to know he was up here. Why? Because it was the only place Jack could think of to get the supplies he needed to help Pitch.

"I must be out of my mind," the winter spirit muttered under his breath. He crept toward a frosted window and peered inside. It looked like most of the yetis and elves were in the main part of the workshop, North included. They were busy making toys. Christmas _was_ only a few of months away.

Jack moved to the other part of the building and snuck through a window on the top floor. It was almost always unlocked, which let him come into the workshop any time he wanted.

"Now, where would he keep the medical supplies?" he wondered. Wasn't there an infirmary or something in this place?

Tiptoeing out into the hall, he quickly glanced around to make sure the coast was clear before he bolted for a door on the right side of the corridor. Slipping inside, he turned to examine the room. "Jackpot." He'd found the infirmary. Who said he never paid attention?

Rummaging through various supplies, Jack grabbed what he needed: some cloths, bandages, a healing tonic, and several other things. Stuffing the items into his sweatshirt pocket, the winter spirit left the room and quietly closed the door.

"Jack!"

The winter spirit flinched, spinning around to see North staring at him. "Uh, hi?"

"I'm surprised to see you here."

"Is that so?" Jack replied carefully, hoping North wouldn't notice the bulge in his pocket.

Suddenly, North became very serious. "Tooth told me what happened at Tooth Palace, Jack."

Whatever Jack had been expecting North to say, it wasn't that. His heart sank as grief overwhelmed him. "She did?"

"Yes. She was very worried about you. Me included."

"Wh-why?"

"What you mean why?" North started, his eyes widening in bewilderment. "We are friends, yes?"

"I—um, yes. We're friends. It's just…I thought you'd be mad at me," whispered Jack, his face looking crestfallen. "I messed up. Again."

"Jack, let me tell you something," said North, placing a hand on the winter spirit's shoulders and guiding him down the hall. "Tooth and I do not think what happened was your fault."

Jack's head shot up at that. "Huh? You don't?"

"You've been getting believers. And with more believers, comes more power. It is understandable that you cannot control it yet. So, it's not your fault. We will help you through this, yes?"

That made Jack feel a little bit better. North wasn't angry with him; he wanted to help him. "Thanks, North."

"No problem," laughed North. "Now let's enjoy some hot cocoa!"

Hot cocoa? Jack had never had _that_ before. "What is it?"

North paused in his steps. "You do not know what hot cocoa is?"

Jack shook his head.

"It is…" North trailed off. He wasn't quite sure how to explain it. "It is a drink. Like liquid chocolate. Very hot."

"Okay," replied Jack. There was no harm in trying it. He could delay for awhile before returning to Pitch.

North took Jack into the kitchen and set about making them both a cup of hot cocoa. Yetis and elves bustled in and out of the kitchen; they were in a hurry with Christmas preparations.

"Here you go, Jack," said North, setting a steaming mug in front of him.

The winter spirit set his staff aside and looked precariously at the drink before him. Steam wafted in the air. It did seem quite hot. Placing his hands on the mug, he cringed slightly at the heat coming from it, but he supposed it would be okay.

But as soon as he lifted the mug and the hot liquid touched his lips, he panicked. It was searing hot! It was burning him! It hurt!

And his powers lashed out in an effort to protect him from the sudden heat.

Jack threw the mug away from him and started breathing heavily. The pain had been dreadful. Was he always this sensitive to heat? "North, I—North?!" The winter spirit slowly rose to his feet when he realized what he'd done. "Oh, no."

Everything was frozen. The workshop, the elves, the yetis…even North. It had happened again. He'd lost control…again!

But it was worse this time. He'd attacked a Guardian.

Distraught, Jack grabbed his staff and quickly went about melting the ice, leaving wet slush all over the workshop. When he was sure that no one was in any mortal danger, he backed away. Every nerve in his body was trembling and he broke out in a cold sweat. He'd done it now.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he muttered over and over again before he took off.

North hurriedly got to his feet, still confused by what had just happened. One minute Jack was drinking hot cocoa and the next he was running away.

No. Wait. Something else had happened. When Jack took a drink, he looked like he'd been in pain. And then all North had felt was cold. He'd been frozen. But the look of absolute horror on Jack's face was enough to make North want pull him into a hug and never let him go. He'd looked absolutely broken. However, no one had been hurt.

"So this is what Tooth was talking about," said North aloud. He wasn't even sure where to begin in helping Jack with his strengthening powers. "I'll help you, Jack. But not alone. We need all Guardians for this." But first, he needed to tend to his stunned yetis and elves.

* * *

Tears were streaming down Jack's face when his feet touched down in Antarctica once more. He'd attacked a Guardian. He'd attacked a _Guardian_! This was absolutely horrible. No one would forgive him for this. He wouldn't be surprised if all the Guardians came after him and tried to put him down like they had Pitch.

Pitch.

That's right. He had to attend to Pitch. Sniffing, he made his way over to the Nightmare King, who was now in a sitting position. He was leaning against their statue.

"You're crying," Pitch stated, looking at Jack with concern, yet there seemed to be a touch of anger there, too.

"No, I'm not," the winter spirit replied, furiously rubbing his eyes. "Something got in my eyes."

"You're lying, Jack. You're upset about something."

"I take it you're feeling better?" Jack was trying to change the subject. He didn't want to talk about what had happened. Especially not with Pitch. He set his staff down and started rummaging through his pocket for the supplies he'd taken from North's.

The Nightmare King frowned. He didn't take lightly to being deterred. And he was never one to give up. "Tell me," he insisted.

"Why should I?" Jack snapped. The wind picked up around them. "Why should I tell you _anything_?"

Pitch quickly looked around them and slowly began to understand what was happening. Jack's powers had increased radically since last they'd met. "Calm down, Jack. You're creating a storm," he said calmly.

The winter spirit's head shot up to look at the sky, which was now laced with dark clouds.

"Close your eyes," instructed Pitch slowly.

"Why?"

"Do as I say…please," he added as an afterthought. He was surprised when Jack finally closed his eyes. He'd thought the winter spirit would have put up more of a fight, but he continued all the same. "I want you to take a few deep breaths. Breathe in through your nose and let the air out through your mouth. Slowly."

While Jack did as he was told, Pitch looked back up at the sky. The dark clouds were starting to wane. And finally, they disappeared completely.

"Good. You can open your eyes now."

Blue now met gold. "It stopped," Jack said, looking surprised. "You made it stop."

Pitch shook his head. "_You_ made it stop. I just helped you to."

They sat in silence for a moment before Jack busied himself with the medical supplies again. "Drink this. I took it from…North's," the winter spirit mumbled, averting his gaze. "It's a healing tonic. And I grabbed a bunch of other stuff. I didn't know where you were hurt, so—."

"I'll take this," cut in Pitch as he took the tonic. "But I don't need the rest. This place has helped with that."

"Really?" The surprise was evident in the winter spirit's voice. "I thought the snow only helped heal _me_."

"It does," replied Pitch. "But I was talking about this." The Nightmare King indicated the black sand encased in the ice sculpture. "There's energy coming from it. It's been healing me."

Jack was confused. "How's it doing that?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Pitch's eyes finally found Jack's. "Now, are you going to tell me what made you so upset?"

The winter spirit sighed and looked away. He could feel tears stinging his eyes again. Maybe he should tell Pitch. It wasn't as if he had anyone else to talk to at the moment. "I attacked a Guardian," he said quietly, almost too quietly for Pitch to hear.

The Nightmare King was surprised by this, to say the least. But something about the way Jack had said it made him skeptical. "Intentionally?"

"No! Of course not!" yelled Jack. "I-it was an accident. I didn't mean to. It just hurt and I lashed out! I didn't mean it!"

Pitch grabbed the winter spirit's shoulders. "Calm down. And start from the beginning."

Jack took a deep breath. "North gave me hot cocoa. I'd never had it before. I took a sip. It burned. It hurt. And then my powers lashed out. I froze…everything. Including North."

The Nightmare King's eyes widened at that. "Is he all right?"

"I think so." Jack's voice came out strained. "As soon as I realized what I'd done, I melted the ice. Everyone looked okay. I didn't stick around to see."

Pitch was about to say something but Jack beat him to it.

"Before that, I fell asleep at Tooth Palace and I made it snow. Over half of the place was covered in deep snow. Everyone was okay, but I lost control. But this has been happening for months. It just hasn't been this bad until now. I've noticed my powers escalating, but I never expected this to happen. I don't know what to do! I'm losing control. I feel like I can't control myself and it scares me! What if I hurt someone next time?"

And then Jack was crying again. Pitch was at a loss as for what to do. Should he comfort him? Did he even remember how to comfort someone?

Hesitantly placing a hand on the winter spirit's back, Pitch rubbed him up and down in an effort to soothe him. What he didn't expect was for Jack to come crawling into his lap bawling his eyes out. Cautiously, Pitch wrapped his arms around the boy and just let him cry. It made him realize how much of a child the winter spirit actually was. It still astounded him, however, that Jack was so desperate for comfort that he came to _him_ for it, even after everything he'd done.

Eventually, Jack's tears subsided. He was calmer now, but he wasn't ready to leave Pitch's embrace just yet. It was nice being comforted this way, almost like a parent soothing their child. Jack almost laughed at the thought.

"Now you," said Jack, sniffling slightly.

"Now me what?" replied Pitch as he glanced down at the winter spirit.

"You were rambling when I brought you here. You acted like you were trying to protect me."

Pitch scowled. "Protect you from what?"

"Fearlings."

"I don't…remember," said Pitch. The harder he thought, about it the fuzzier his mind seemed to become.

Jack frowned at him. "And you mentioned a _her_. You said you had to protect me for her. You don't remember that, either?"

Pitch shook his head. "Perhaps it was just the ramblings of a delirious, old spirit."

That didn't explain the way Pitch had looked at him. The concern, the…care. He wasn't going to let this go. But perhaps he should, for now.

Suddenly, Jack realized he was still being held by Pitch. And tightly. "Maybe you should get some more rest," he started as he tried pulling away from the Nightmare King, but Pitch held him fast. "Pitch?"

"Stay," he said desperately. His eyes _begged_ him to.

"Why?" Jack inquired. He looked at Pitch peculiarly.

"I've had nothing but darkness, nightmares, and whisperings these past few months. It was so sinister and I was so isolated. Just…stay with me. For awhile." He needed someone, _anyone_ to stay with him right now. Pitch couldn't tolerate the thought of being alone again. And he needed Jack to stay. There was something he had to tell him.

"Okay," Jack replied slowly. "But do you really have to hold me."

Pitch then glared at the winter spirit and pushed him off his lap. Jack felt utterly rejected by the motion. Why did it hurt him so much? He yelped, however, when he felt hands snatch him back. Pitch had placed Jack next to him against their statue. Their shoulders were touching.

"Is this better?" asked Pitch, not making eye contact.

"I—I guess so," answered the winter spirit. He grew uneasy at the lost look on Pitch's face, so he placed his head on the Nightmare King's shoulder; the man looked like he needed comfort and he was willing to give it. An eye for an eye, he supposed.

Pitch tensed at the contact at first, but soon relaxed, closing his eyes. He sighed contentedly. It reminded him of so long ago.

His eyes snapped open. He was about to remember something. Something from his distant past. But the memory was fading quickly. What did this remind him of?

It was gone. The memory had disappeared. He growled to himself. He'd been having all sorts of flashes of memories from long ago, but as soon as he remembered, they would immediately disappear. It was infuriating!

"You okay, Pitch?" Jack asked suddenly. He'd noticed the Nightmare King frowning intensely, like he was angry.

Pitch's face softened at hearing the winter spirit's voice. "I'm fine," he said. "You should get some rest, too. We have a big day tomorrow."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"We're going to clear the air, so to speak. I've a feeling you won't be running off to the Guardians anytime soon, so we're going to talk." It was time. It was time to tell Jack what he'd suspected all those months ago. And the winter spirit wasn't going to like it.

"About what?" What could they possibly have to talk about that made Pitch look so serious?

"Don't worry about that now. Just go to sleep. Before I make you," he said, summoning a little bit of black sand in his hand.

Jack narrowed his eyes. "You wouldn't dare."

"Try me."

They stared at each other for several minutes.

"Fine," said Jack. "I'm going to sleep. But not because you threatened me. I'm tired."

Pitch hummed as the winter spirit fell asleep on his shoulder. They would rest now. But tomorrow, they really needed to talk. He just hoped Jack wouldn't take it too hard. There was no telling what the winter spirit would do once he knew.

If he even _believed_ him, that is.

* * *

**Author's Note – This chapter was quite a bit longer. And as I wrote, many things changed a bit. I got into a groove and had lots of ideas. As a side note, we'll be tackling some Fearlings in the next chapter!**


	5. Release of the Fearlings

Disclaimer – I do not own _Rise of the Guardians_

*Rated T for Teen (Unless Otherwise Noted; Rating Might Go Up)

* * *

**Author's Note:** Your reviews are so riveting! I'm really enjoying reading them. And I particularly love all of the speculation going on. Boy are you in for some surprises!

* * *

**Release of the Fearlings**

Jack woke up to the sensation of feeling warm. Not a painful kind of warm, but the comforting sort. He could stay like this forever. Snuggling deeper, he let his mind drift off to sleep again. But a soft chuckling soon roused him.

"Hm?" Jack started sleepily as he rubbed his eyes. He jerked when he realized he was in Pitch's lap again. "What're you _doing_?"

"I'm not doing anything, Jack," said Pitch with a smirk as he let the winter spirit climb out of his lap. "You're the one who came crawling into my arms in the middle of the night. So like a child."

"I'm not a child!" Jack snapped, earning him a skeptical look from the Nightmare King. "And I didn't crawl into your lap, either!"

Pitch sighed. There wasn't really any point in arguing about it, but Jack had come to him in the middle of the night. He hadn't been sleeping well and had subconsciously sought comfort. And that was when Jack had landed in his lap again. Pitch didn't have the heart to push him away and it disturbed him somewhat that he felt that way.

"Didn't you have something to talk to me about?" Jack interrupted his thoughts.

"Yes," said Pitch as he steeled himself for the worst. "I want to talk about _this_." In his hand rested a gold memory box with teeth. _Jack's_ teeth.

The winter spirit's eyes shot down to his pocket as he felt around it with his hands. "Hey! You took my teeth! Give them back!"

"I'll give them back," began Pitch, trying to keep Jack at bay, "once I've said what I have to say."

Jack huffed but decided to give the Nightmare King a chance. "Then say it already."

Pitch took a deep breath. "They're not real. These aren't your teeth."

"What are you _talking_ about? Of course they're my teeth! I saw my memories and everything," said Jack. What on earth was Pitch going on about? He'd seen his memories! He'd had a sister! He'd saved her!

Pitch shook his head. "The memories you saw were false. They weren't real. Someone created this in case you came looking for your past."

Jack narrowed his eyes. "I don't believe you."

"Toothiana would know," said Pitch. "All she would have to do is touch this little box and she would know instantly that these aren't real."

"That's a lie! She—!"

"Did she ever touch this?" Pitch cut in, shaking the box in front of him. "Did she give it to you? Did you ever return it to her?"

"No," said Jack. He'd wanted to keep watching his memories; it had never crossed his mind to give it back. "But Baby Tooth did. When she touched it, the box glowed and—!"

"That's their job, Jack. The baby teeth are the ones who release the memories. Toothiana does not. The magic used to create this illusion goes well beyond that of tiny, little fairies."

"I still don't believe you," asserted Jack. "And besides, how would you know if they're real or not?"

Pitch clenched his jaw. "When we were on that roof months ago and you got involved because I took the teeth, I became…interested. I wasn't sure why you were so concerned about them. Then I put two and two together. What could a three-hundred-year-old spirit want with teeth? And then it clicked. Memories. You wanted your memories.

"It was then I realized that you knew nothing about your past and I wanted to use that to my advantage. I spent hours looking for those teeth of yours. And when I found them…they felt off."

"What do you mean off?" Jack inquired.

"Each box of teeth has a certain energy around them. They're all the same in that sense. However, when I touched what was supposedly yours, the energy was different. It felt like…a dream. The same magic that allows me to turn dreams into nightmares or for Sanderson to give all those children dreams. It felt the same.

"I didn't think much of it at the time. You interrupted me when you entered my lair. So I decided to taunt you with them. I know how much it meant to you to have those memories."

"Yeah, right. How could you even think to know something like that? Do you know what it's like to wander around for so long only knowing your name? Nothing else?"

"Yes!" Pitch snapped, his anger surfacing. "I know exactly what that feels like! I woke up as Pitch Black and that was all I knew! Ever since that moment I've been filled with a rage I cannot contain! Do you think I enjoy this? Destroying every little thing only to be cast out once more until that impending rage fills me up again?"

Jack stared at him solemnly. "You don't know who you were before you became Pitch Black?"

"No. Why do you think I was so insistent on having you join me? For once I wasn't the only one the Man in the Moon took advantage of." Pitch paused. What had he meant by that? When did the Man in the Moon ever take advantage of him?

"What do you mean?" asked Jack. He was thoroughly confused. "The Man in the Moon?"

"I don't…I don't know why I said that. Why did I say that?" Pitch mumbled. His memory began to flicker again and suddenly his heart filled with sadness. But then it was gone.

"Pitch?" Jack was looking at him in concern. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Pitch growled, his eyes hardening.

"You spaced out again. What's going on?"

Pitch sighed. "I keep getting…never mind. It's not important."

They sat in silence for a time. Jack pondered over everything Pitch had told him about his teeth. He didn't believe him; he had no reason to. But for what purpose would Pitch talk to him about _this_?

"Why did you tell me all that?" Jack honestly wanted to know.

Pitch ran his hand through his hair. "I don't know. When I finally left the lair and saw you, something at the back of my mind kept urging me to tell you. Now that it's done…"

"I don't believe you, Pitch. I don't trust you," Jack said finally.

"I know. And you probably never will," Pitch sighed. He couldn't understand why that made him feel so sad. "But if you want to know the truth, I suggest you take your teeth to Toothiana. Let her touch them. And if you're still not convinced, take them to Sanderson. If my suspicions are correct, that box that holds your teeth will turn into dream sand."

"Pitch—?"

"But I must warn you. There are consequences to exposing a lie. I don't know what those might be. And if what I say ends up being true, there's no telling how you will react. So I suggest you come back here when you discover the truth."

"Why?" inquired Jack. Was he really going to believe Pitch?

"At the rate your powers are growing, there's no telling what you might do when you find out the truth. It would be safer for you to come here. Promise me you'll come back," insisted Pitch.

"I—I…promise," Jack replied. Pitch then offered him his box off teeth. He took it apprehensively. The winter spirit didn't know what to believe at the moment.

"Then go to them now. It looks like they're calling you. I'll still be here when you get back," said Pitch. He leaned back against their statue and averted his gaze; he looked distant.

Jack glanced up at the sky. And, sure enough, he could see the lights. This couldn't be good.

* * *

"What on earth is it now, North?" questioned Bunny as he made his way into the workshop. Tooth and Sandy were already there.

"It's about Jack," said North. "But perhaps we should wait for him first."

Bunny crossed his arms. "What'd Frostbite do now? Send a blizzard to Hawaii?"

"No," said Tooth. "Nothing quite like that. It's just that he's having a bit of trouble controlling his powers. There have been…some accidents."

Sandy frowned at that. What kind of accidents? He formed a question mark above his head.

Tooth sighed. "He fell asleep the other day at my place and he made it snow. A lot. Everyone was okay, of course! And he cleaned it up! But he was so hurt by what he'd done. It was an accident."

"Then Jack stopped by here," added North. "I gave him hot cocoa for first time. Perhaps it was too hot. He froze everything a little bit. But we were all fine."

Bunny saw Phil roll his eyes. "A little bit, huh?"

"Okay. So maybe he froze elves and yetis, too, but everyone is okay, yes?"

"What happened after that?" asked Bunny, his gaze stern.

"He left," North replied sadly. "He melted the ice and just left. Jack looked very hurt. It was only accident, but he still feels guilt for what he has done."

"So ya called us all here together to do what? Help him?" North and Tooth nodded. Sandy gave a thumbs-up and smiled. "Okay. We'll help the guy out. But the minute even one of my whiskers freezes, I'm gone. Can't take the cold, mate."

"Now we just wait for—Jack!" started North with a big smile. "Come in, come in. Make yourself at home."

Jack hesitated in the doorway, his hands clenching his staff. He was nervous…and scared. The winter spirit hadn't realized it before, but what Pitch had told him unnerved him greatly. What if he was telling the truth? There was only one way to find out.

"Hey, Frostbite. North said that ya…need," Bunny's voice trailed off when Jack completely ignored him and made a beeline for Tooth, a grave look on his face. "Frostbite?"

Tooth didn't know what to do when Jack just stood in front of her and stared. "Jack? Are you okay?" She jumped when something was suddenly shoved into her hands. "What's—?" Tooth paused and looked at the memory box. It had Jack's face on it, from when he was human. He looked adorable and so mischievous and…something wasn't right.

Jack swallowed hard when he noticed Tooth staring incredulously at the box. When she opened it, she touched each tooth, her frown growing deeper with each one.

"They're not real…are they?" Jack's voice startled everyone in the room.

"I don't understand," said Tooth. "It's just like the others, but it's…off. These aren't…these aren't your teeth, Jack." She looked up at the winter spirit. She didn't know what to do. What _could_ she do?

"The memories aren't real either?" Jack's voice cracked.

Tooth could only shake her head, at a loss for words. How could something like this get by her? And who would do such a cruel thing? But that wasn't the worst part! Where were Jack's real teeth?

Pitch had been right. He'd been right all along. But he still didn't quite believe it. He didn't want to believe it. There was only one way to know for sure.

"Sandy?" Jack's voice came out as barely a whisper. The Sandman glided over to them, looking at the winter spirit uneasily. "Touch them. Touch my teeth."

Sandy didn't know what that would accomplish, but he did as the young spirit asked. The second Sandy touched the teeth, however, everything—the teeth, the box—crumbled away into dream sand. He stood there in shock. How had that happened? He couldn't turn objects into dream sand! It was impossible!

Jack slowly backed away. "He was right," he said, tears stinging his eyes. "He was telling the truth."

Bunny finally found his voice. "Who was right? What the heck is goin' on? What happened to the teeth?"

He needed to get away. He didn't know what was real or wasn't. "It was a lie. All a lie. Who am I? What am I? Why don't I know?" Jack rambled.

"Hey, you're not goin' anywhere just yet," said Bunny, grabbing Jack's arm before he could flee.

"Let me go," Jack stated hoarsely. "I don't want to hurt you. Please let me go."

"Frost—!"

"Let me go!" he roared. The wind began to rage outside.

Bunny released him and watched Jack bolt from the room, an icy trail in his wake. "What is goin' _on_?" he asked again, rounding on his fellow Guardians.

"I don't understand," muttered Tooth. "These were Jack's teeth. They were _supposed_ to be Jack's teeth. I was sure of it, but they weren't. They're not real. How could something like this get passed me?"

"Why did they turn into sand?" asked North. Sandy shrugged in response.

"They weren't real," Tooth reiterated. "Someone created them from dream sand. But each tooth held a memory. I don't—oh!"

"Oh? What is oh?" inquired North.

"They were dreams!" cried Tooth as she looked at Sandy. "Is it possible to make dreams so realistic they could be mistaken for memories?"

Even though Sandy never really did such things too often, it was possible, so he nodded.

"But that doesn't explain what we just saw," stated Bunny. He was getting extremely anxious. "Who the heck can take dream sand and turn it into somethin' like that? Cuz I don't think it was Sandy."

The Sandman shook his head. He'd never do something like that, not that he could. The only one able to was—! His eyes widened. Waving his arms frantically, he pointed to the image above his head.

"Man in Moon," said North taking in the sandy moon figure above his friend's head. "Why would Man in Moon do this? He is our friend. Why would he give fake memories to Jack?"

Sandy shrugged his shoulders. He was at a loss for an explanation.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait," started Bunny. "How'd Jack even find out in the first place? He was ecstatic when he saw his memories. Where'd he come up with the idea that they weren't real?"

Tooth frowned. "Jack _did _start saying something. He kept saying, 'He was right.' Someone must have told Jack that his memories weren't real."

"But who?" asked North.

"I dunno, mate," said Bunny. He was growing very worried for Jack. There was no telling how much pain the kid was in. To have everything he believed in ripped out from under him. "We gotta find him. He might think that we did this. We gotta let him know we weren't behind it. It took a long time for him to start trustin' us. I don't wanna lose that over this."

"I agree with Bunny. We must find Jack," North agreed.

"But where would he go?" inquired Tooth frantically. "And what do we tell him when we find him?"

"What else? That we care for Frostbite and are gonna help him through this no matter what it takes."

"And we will get to bottom of this," added North. "We are in for long talk with Man in Moon."

"If he talks back," mumbled Bunny. "Let's split up. We'll cover more ground that way."

"When we find Jack, we bring him back here, yes?" North's eyes were pleading. When everyone nodded, he said, "After that, show lights. Everyone will come back here and we talk then. Let's go."

* * *

Jack did as promised and returned to Antarctica. A flurry of wind and snow followed him. He didn't think he could control it much longer.

"Jack?" The winter spirit looked at Pitch. "Well?"

"What you said was true," Jack cried. "None of it was real. It was never real. The teeth, the box, it all turned into sand when Sandy touched it."

Pitch gazed at him sadly. "Come," he said, beckoning to him. He suppressed a yelp when Jack flew into his arms and cried into his chest, sobs wracking the poor spirit's body. Pitch tentatively placed his hands on Jack's back and tried to comfort him as best as he could. "Just let it all out. Let go."

Jack shook his head. "I'll lose control. You could get hurt."

"I won't. Let go. This will consume you if you don't do otherwise," insisted Pitch. "Don't let this turn into rage. It will destroy you."

"But—!"

"You don't need to worry about me. I'll be fine. And I'll stay with you the whole time. You won't have to be alone, Jack. Just let go."

And that was all it took. Jack dropped his staff and wrapped his arms around Pitch. He let go. He let go of all the pain, the betrayal, the loneliness, all of it. The wind raged around them as a large blizzard began to form.

"That's it," said Pitch, stroking Jack's back. "Let it all out."

Jack sobbed. "Who am I? What am I? I don't know anymore!" he mumbled over and over again as the storm raged on.

Pitch summoned a dome of black sand around them to protect them from blizzard that tore through the ice and snow. It would be awhile before it stopped. He hoped Jack would feel better once it did.

* * *

The Fearlings gathered in what was once Pitch's lair. They swarmed around, whispering to one another.

_"__He was useless!"_

_"__Release him! We must release him!"_

_"__And find another!"_

_"__Someone worthy!"_

_"__He failed us!"_

_"__Useless!"_

_"__Release the hold!"_

_"__Make him suffer!"_

_"__Find another!"_

The Fearlings became agitated as they worked their magic. Before selecting another one worthy of their power, they had to release their original conduit.

_"__The deed is done."_

_"__We have released him."_

_"__No! He is not as before!"_

_"__Not as before!"_

_"__Released, but not as before!"_

_"__Find another!"_

_"__Yes. We must find another!"_

Shadows scurried this way and that as the Fearlings gathered together and flew through the lair toward the opening Pitch had exposed. They slithered through it like snakes as they made their way to their next victim, someone more worthy of their possession.

Someone who knew betrayal. Someone who was easy to manipulate. Someone who would become powerful.

They had to find another.

* * *

**Author's Note – What a chapter, right? What did you guys think? I hope I threw a few curveballs for you. There are still more to come. Anymore speculation?**


	6. Pitch's Darkness

Disclaimer – I do not own _Rise of the Guardians_

*Rated T for Teen (Unless Otherwise Noted; Rating Might Go Up)

* * *

**Author's Note:** Wow! I had some extensive reviews this time! Awesome! Are you ready for some more suspense and plot twists? I know I am!

* * *

**Pitch's Darkness**

All was quiet. Deathly quiet. The storm had finally ceased raging across the Antarctic. Pitch allowed his black sand to fall. It settled neatly amongst the snow, casting startling shapes upon its surface. It was over.

"Jack?" Pitch called, trying to stir the boy still in his arms.

The winter spirit groaned and opened his eyes, wobbling a bit as he stood on his own two feet. "What happened?" he asked groggily.

"You unleashed a blizzard. One of the largest I've ever seen, in fact," answered Pitch as he eyed Jack carefully. "It seemed to have taken a lot out of you."

"A blizzard?" He was awake now. Everything came crashing down on him at once. The memories he thought were real had never even existed. It was all a lie. Pitch had helped him. And then…he'd let his emotions go. "A blizzard! Did I hurt anyone?"

"Jack, calm down," insisted Pitch. "No one was hurt. The storm stayed here. We're in Antarctica, remember?"

The winter spirit slowly nodded his head before sinking to his knees. He was awash in grief. What was he supposed to do now? The whole reason he believed he was a Guardian was due to the fact that he'd saved his sister's life. But that wasn't real. He'd never even _had_ a sister. Why was this happening? Why was this happening to _him_?

"Would you like to talk about what happened?" questioned Pitch. Again, he was careful when speaking to him. He didn't want Jack to become overly emotional again, not with what he'd discovered. But that could wait, for now

"I don't even know where to begin," Jack stated in earnest. "Seeing my memories is what made me believe I was a Guardian. It made me feel like a part of something. But now that those memories are gone, how can I continue being the person I thought I was supposed to be?"

"I'm afraid I don't have an answer to that," replied Pitch. "How did the other Guardians take the news, if you mind me asking?"

Jack shook his head. "I'm not sure. I think they were as surprised as I was, but I can't help but feel…angry with them."

"It's not _their_ fault."

"It's their fault for leaving me _alone_ for three hundred years!" Jack snapped. The temperature dropped drastically.

"Jack, I want you to listen to me," said Pitch as he tried to calm the winter spirit. "There have been various spirits for centuries, some even older than the Guardians themselves. The Guardians' responsibility is to the human children of this world, not taking in every little spirit that happens to come into being."

That hurt. Pitch's words hurt him more deeply than he thought they would.

"However," the Nightmare King continued, "your circumstances are different than that of other spirits. Awoken with only a name. No purpose, no guidance. No one to help you these past years. Someone should have taken notice of _that_. I'm not saying it should have been the Guardians, but someone should have approached you at least."

"I…came across other spirits every now and then," Jack started slowly, "but nothing much happened other than the occasional introduction. I guess they all assumed I knew what I was doing or that I was just like them."

"But you're not, are you?"

Jack shook his head.

"I don't mean to draw your thoughts away from this, but there is something else I wish to discuss with you," said Pitch.

The winter spirit raised his head. "What?"

"How did you create the blizzard without using your staff?" Pitch asked. Jack hadn't been holding it when the storm started. "I thought you didn't have full use of your powers without touching it."

Jack looked over at his staff. Sure enough, it was just resting on the ground like a discarded piece of wood. But he hadn't been holding it when he let his emotions go. He'd put down his staff and embraced Pitch. "I don't…"

His eyes widened. At Tooth Palace, when he'd fallen asleep, it had snowed. His staff hadn't been in his hands. He'd had to pick it up in order to stop it.

And at the North Pole, he'd set his staff aside to drink the hot cocoa. He'd frozen everything and everyone around him without it. But only when he picked up the staff did he defrost everything.

Jack looked back at Pitch. "My staff is a conduit. I channel my power through it. When you…broke it, I thought you destroyed the source of my power. But the power came from within me, because I was able to fix my staff myself. I _always_ thought the staff was the source of my power. But I've never been able to…I don't understand why I've been doing stuff without holding it. I use it to let the wind carry me, create frost, snow, and storms, but…"

Pitch looked to Jack's staff when his voice trailed off. That was interesting. It seemed that the staff was, more or less, keeping Jack in control than being used as a mere conduit. But what did that mean?

"Keep it close," said Pitch. "You were able to create a blizzard without the use of your staff. Conduit or not, you've become increasingly more powerful. If I didn't know any better, I'd say the staff kept you under control."

"You mean my staff keeps me from getting out of whack?" Jack asked, eyebrow raised.

Pitch nodded. "I believe so. You need to let your own control catch up to the power you've obtained. Until you're able to control it yourself, keep that staff with you at all times. Understood?"

Jack immediately grabbed his staff. "I still don't understand why you're helping me."

"Neither do I," Pitch replied in all honesty. What was with these urges to assist the boy?

"What am I going to do?" implored Jack, sighing as he flopped backward into the snow.

Pitch hummed in thought. "Firstly, you should identify the one responsible for providing you with false memories," he said. "Only then will everything else fall into place."

"But where would I even begin? I feel like I can't trust anyone!"

"And here you sit, speaking with your number one enemy."

Jack chuckled. "Actually, I think my number one enemy is Bunny. I don't think he's forgiven me just yet for that Easter blizzard in '68. I guess we're sort of friends…maybe. I don't know. We don't really talk that much."

Pitch rolled his eyes. "I didn't sign on for hearing _all_ of your sob stories. I onl—ah!" He keeled over, clutching his head which was now pounding something dreadful. Why was it hurting so much?

"Pitch?" Jack shot up and moved over to the Nightmare King who looked to be in pain. "Are you all right, Pitch?"

Something was happening. What was happening? Why was his head filled with so much pain? It felt like it wanted to burst open. His eyes drifted closed as his head swam with darkness.

Jack panicked when he saw Pitch falling to the ground. By the time he got there, the Nightmare King was already unconscious. "Pitch?" Jack placed a hand to his forehead. His fever hadn't come back and he wasn't breathing heavily. If he didn't know any better, he'd say Pitch had just fallen asleep.

But deep down, he knew something more than that was happening.

"Pitch, wake up!" Jack demanded, roughly shaking the Nightmare King. Ever so slowly, his eyes opened, and Jack could see the agony writhing within them.

* * *

"Where the heck could he have bloody gone?" said Bunny as he darted around Burgess looking for Jack. He grew more anxious by the minute. "Where would he be?"

The pond. Perhaps he was at the pond. He always hung out there, didn't he?

Going full speed, he raced off into the woods surrounding Burgess. He gradually slowed once he reached the frozen pond. Sniffing the air, he desperately tried to get any sense that Jack was nearby.

Nothing. There was absolutely no sign of the spirit.

As he wandered around, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Movement in the woods.

"Hello?" he called out, squinting into the darkness. "Jack, if that's you, ya better come out right now before I make ya."

The sounds of scuttling and slithering were his only response.

"This isn't funny, Jack!"

_"__Is he the one?"_

_"__No. Not him."_

_"__Another. Must find another."_

Bunny scrambled backward when whispers suddenly surrounded him. Where were the voices coming from?

_"__What do we do with him?"_

_"__Leave him!"_

_"__Must find another!"_

_"__Someone worthy."_

Bunny leapt out of the way when numerous dark figures came flying toward him. He ducked behind a nearby tree and watched as what appeared to be hundreds of shadows—no, Fearlings—darted out of the woods and into the sky. By the time he realized what had happened, the Fearlings were gone.

"This is _not_ good," said Bunny as he tapped his foot on the ground. Finding Jack would have to wait. He needed to get back to the Pole to summon the Guardians. Fearlings running rampant on the world trumped everything else.

* * *

"Pitch?" Jack started uneasily as he eyed the older spirit worriedly. He wasn't sure what to do, especially since he thought he was seeing tears forming in Pitch's eyes.

"They r-released me," Pitch gasped, but it sounded more like a sob. "My mind is f-finally free. I-I don't hear them anymore."

Jack gripped his staff. "Hear who?"

The Nightmare King raised himself off the ground, shaking on his feet. He steadied himself by placing a hand on the ice sculpture next to him. That was when he looked at himself. He inhaled sharply and stumbled back. "What's happened to me?"

The winter spirit looked at Pitch's reflection in the ice. He didn't notice anything different. "What are you talking about?"

Pitch, seeming to have realized—finally—that someone was talking to him, turned to face Jack. His gaze shifted from the winter spirit to his reflection and back again. "The Fearlings…let my mind go. I-I remember."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Remember what?"

"_Everything!_" he screamed, dropping to his knees. "What have I done? How could I be so cruel? What have I _done_?"

Seeing Pitch Black break down in front of him like this was something Jack had never expected to see. And it wasn't something he wanted to see again. The older spirit looked absolutely devastated. He just kept repeating those same questions over and over again, but it revealed nothing of what he was talking about.

"Pitch, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on," urged Jack. What was he supposed to do?

"I feel it," Pitch continued. "There are two inside of me. How could I have done such dreadful things? What have I done?"

Jack had just about enough. He was getting _nowhere_ with Pitch. The spirit kept rambling and crying; he was losing it.

_Smack!_

The winter spirit froze as he stared at his hand. Had he really just done that? Had he really just slapped Pitch Black the Nightmare King?

Pitch had frozen, too. He'd stopped talking, his tears had stopped flowing, and his breathing became steadier. Swallowing hard, he said, "Thank you."

"You're…welcome?" Jack replied unsurely. He'd expected Pitch to attack him with black sand. "Can you tell me what's going on with you? One minute we're talking and the next you pass out from pain or something. Then you wake up and start rambling like a crazy person!"

Pitch took a deep breath. "The Fearlings released my mind. It is my own now."

Jack sighed in exasperation. "I don't know what that means."

"It means that I remember who I was before I became Pitch Black," he said, looking solemn.

"Before you were Pitch Black?" he echoed. "I don't—."

"Understand. I know," cut in Pitch. Taking another deep breath, he continued. "Thousands of years ago, I was once a man called Kozmotis Pitchiner. I was the Lord High General of the Galaxies. I had…a wife, whom I believe is dead. And…a daughter. Her name was…her name was…Emily." A smile came to his lips as he finally remembered his little girl.

"She was such a sweet child with such a wild heart. But one day I had to leave her and my wife. I'd volunteered to guard the prison planet where the Fearlings were being held. It was lonely work. The only solace I had was a locket I wore around my neck. It held a picture of my daughter inside.

"But after so many years guarding the Fearlings—hearing all the whispers and the begging—they finally tricked me. They imitated the voice of my daughter. It had been about ten years since I'd last seen her. She would have been sixteen, I think. But all I heard was the voice of my little girl crying out for help.

"I did what they wanted. I opened the door. The Fearlings flew at me. They took over my body. Thousands of them. I became possessed by them. That was the day I became Pitch Black."

Jack's heart went out to him. It was so heartbreaking. He'd never known this about Pitch. Why hadn't the Guardians told him this story? His whole life had been ripped out from under him.

"I remembered nothing of my former life as Kozmotis Pitchiner. All I know is that as I woke was filled with thoughts of vengeance. I was filled with rage and anger. It was something I could not control. It made me…they made me…I destroyed the Pooka," he cried, clutching his chest as if he felt physical pain residing in his heart.

"Bunny's race?" Jack asked quietly.

Pitch nodded. "How could I do such a thing?" His voice was barely above a whisper. "Eventually, all of the battles led us here."

"Us?"

"Myself, Sanderson, Bunnymund, the Man in the Moon—as you know him. And others. Toothiana and North came later." He paused. "So many battles. So much pain. I've caused so much damage. And nothing I do will _ever_ rectify that."

"But," started Jack, trying to understand, "it wasn't really _you_ who did all those things, right?"

"I don't know," Pitch replied helplessly. "I feel like there are two beings within me. Kozmotis Pitchiner and Pitch Black. I am both but I am neither. I have the memories and feelings of both individuals flooding my mind, yet I cannot grasp who it is I really am.

"I know that the Fearlings have relinquished their hold. I no longer hear their whispers. But it has not changed me back to how I was before."

"You mean as Kozmotis?"

"Yes. I still retain the form of Pitch Black."

Jack stared at him in thought. "Can you still use your nightmare sand?"

Pitch looked back at him for a moment before turning his attention to his hand. He stared at it before hesitantly summoning his sand. It appeared quickly and swirled around him. He still had the power, it seemed, of the Nightmare King. "It appears so."

Perhaps there was a reason for that. Jack settled on the ground next to Pitch, a question nagging at him mind. "Whatever happened to your daughter?"

Pitch closed his eyes and sighed. "She became Mother Nature. I think I met her sometime before the…Dark Ages." He spat out those last two words as if they left a bitter taste in his mouth. "She told me…once. A long time ago. But I didn't remember having a daughter; however, she remembered having a father.

"And then, after the Dark Ages…" He stopped. His mind went blank. Why couldn't he remember what happened after that?

"After the Dark Ages?" Jack urged him to continue.

"I don't remember," Pitch stated, confusion marring his features. "I remember everything up until my fall from the Dark Ages and then…this most recent battle with the Guardians."

"That's a few hundred years unaccounted for," said Jack.

"Clearly," Pitch continued, "someone doesn't want me to remember what happened during that time."

"Why would someone do that?"

"Why would someone give you false memories?"

Pitch had him there. "You don't think…it's the same person…do you?" Jack asked hesitantly.

Now that was an interesting thought, indeed. "You want to know if all of this is connected somehow." It wasn't a question.

Jack nodded. It just seemed odd. Jack finding Pitch, Pitch trying to protect him, Pitch telling him about his memories, Pitch getting his memories, Pitch—wait. "Why did the Fearlings release you?" Jack asked suddenly.

Pitch shrugged. "Perhaps I failed them for the last time. They let me go so that they might find someone else to use as their puppet. Why do you ask?"

"Don't you think it's strange that they just let you go? Why didn't they destroy you? What does letting you go—giving you the opportunity to remember everything—achieve?"

Pitch gave him a sad smile. "There are some things worse than death," he said. "Fear is one of them. Reliving your darkest moments tortures the soul. And with all that I've done? The Fearlings will make my life a living nightmare. They let me remember who I was, they let me regain my humanity to punish me for the horrible things I've done."

"Are you sure?" Jack asked, becoming perplexed.

"Of course I'm sure. It's exactly what I would have done if I were still _completely_ Pitch Black," he replied.

Jack sighed. Why couldn't things just stay…normal? What _was_ normal for spirits, anyway? Why couldn't peace last for long? Fearlings were running all over the place searching for their next victim, someone was keeping memories from him. "Why is this happening? What can someone possibly gain from all of this? I don't understand why there has to be such malice in the world."

"I believe that can be left up to interpretation," said Pitch, only confusing the winter spirit even more. "There is darkness in all of our hearts, Jack. And fear has a way of bringing it to the surface. In all of us."

* * *

**Author's Note – I hope this chapter didn't feel rushed. It felt rushed to me. Did it feel rushed? I know you guys probably have lots of questions and you will get answers! I promise you that!**


	7. Return of the Monkey King

Disclaimer – I do not own _Rise of the Guardians_

*Rated T for Teen (Unless Otherwise Noted; Rating Might Go Up)

* * *

**Author's Note:** Okay. This chapter was getting way too long, so I split it up into two. This chapter and the next one. I know you guys have probably been dying for some action and you'll get it. We meet out villain in this chapter and we will be action packed in the next chapter. I promise you!

So, it's about time I introduced our villain. Am I right?

* * *

**Return of the Monkey King**

Bunny was the first one to arrive at the North Pole, which meant everyone else was still looking for Jack. Heading for the globe room, Bunny pushed passed the yetis and elves so that he could activate the lights. It would only be a matter of time before the other Guardians showed up.

So Bunny set to pacing the room, his mind riddled with questions. What were Fearlings doing running around Jack's pond? Wasn't Pitch in control of them? But if they were running rampant, what had happened to Pitch?

Then something occurred to him that he hadn't thought of before. What if the Fearlings had gotten to Jack and he'd just left him there? He'd been so determined to get away from the Fearlings that the thought of them attacking Jack hadn't even crossed his mind.

"What is it? You find Jack?" demanded North as he thundered into the globe room.

"No. Not—."

"Then why you call us here?"

"Is Jack all right? Where is he?" Tooth had shown up, too, followed by Sandy.

"Jack's not here," said Bunny. "I haven't found him yet."

"Then why'd you call us back?" asked Tooth. "We should be out there _looking_ for him! He could be hurt!"

"If ya let me explain instead of cuttin' me off maybe we can get back to lookin' for him!" Bunny yelled at them, driving them into silence. "I went to the kid's pond to look for him there, but I saw somethin' else. There were Fearlings in the woods. There had to be hundreds of them and they took off somewhere."

"Fearlings?" Tooth gasped. Her wings stopped fluttering as her feet touched the ground. "What were Fearlings doing there?"

"Fearlings are under Pitch's control, yes?" started North. "Maybe Pitch is back."

"If that's so, then where is he? I didn't see him _anywhere_. And why would he send off hundreds of Fearlings?" inquired Bunny.

Sandy thrummed his hands on his sides, thinking. It did seem unusual. Pitch shouldn't have regained that much power yet. Commanding his nightmare sand, now _that_ was a possible. Giving out orders to all manner of dark creatures was something else entirely.

Waving his hands to get their attention, Sandy made an image of Pitch above his head and crossed him out.

"Ya don't think it was Pitch?" asked Bunny. Sandy nodded. "Then who the heck is it, mate? Don't tell me the Fearlings are goin' off on their own now."

Sandy shrugged.

"This is not good," said North as he began pacing back and forth. He stroked his beard. "We have no idea where Fearlings went or what they are up to."

"What do we do, North?" questioned Tooth.

"I don't know," he replied. "Perhaps we should ask Man in Moon."

* * *

The Monkey King plodded along in the darkest depths of the jungle. He had only just escaped his prison and he wasn't planning on going back anytime soon.

"Guardians," he spat maliciously, "you will pay for what you have done to me!"

Birds shrieked and fluttered away from the outraged primate. They squawked shrilly, hundreds of wings blocking out the silhouette of the moon through the dense trees.

Allowing himself to gaze through the branches, he glared at the bright orb shining in the sky. Yes, he would have his revenge against all of them. He would find a way to become human once more. But for now, he had to find a safe place.

As he trudged through the ensnaring overgrowth of roots and ferns, the Monkey King thought long and hard about his predicament. For hundreds of years he'd been kept in a dark prison thanks to the Guardians, especially that horrid Toothiana. If only he could have won.

But the minute he'd been captured, his monkey army—his minions—had left him. Their loyalty now rested with Pitch. He snarled at the name that came unbidden in his mind.

Pitch Black. They had been allies once. They had fought together, side by side. He'd only joined the Nightmare King with the promise of becoming human once more. Oh, how he desperately wanted to become human. But Pitch had betrayed him. His minions had left their fallen king to serve another.

The Nightmare King had to pay for his misdeeds. But how?

He stopped walking when he came across a dark crevasse in the earth. It looked big enough for his body to fit through. Perhaps it would be the perfect hiding place. It was far from the prying eyes of the Man in the Moon.

Struggling through the small opening, he landed softly on his feet. He then realized it was not merely a crevasse but a vast cave. Pleased with his discovery, the Monkey King settled down on a large rock. It was time to rest. And plot. He had centuries-worth of anger to unleash.

A sudden noise toward the back of the cave drew his attention away from his thoughts. He peered through the darkness, but all he could see were shadows. Perhaps it was just a bat. The Monkey King's thoughts resumed.

_Clank!_

His head snapped up. Standing from his resting place, he gritted his teeth and headed in the direction of the sound. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

"He _is_ here!"

"I told you!"

The Monkey King grabbed a large rock, holding it in his hand like a weapon. "I will not ask again!"

"My king!"

He paused. The shadows that had been clinging to the walls finally took shape; they took form. His _minions_. The Monkey King gripped the rock more firmly in his hand. "Have you come to send me back to my prison?" he declared with a menacing glare.

"No! We have returned to you!" one of the monkeys protested, raising his hands defensively.

"Returned?" he replied. The Monkey King stood up straight, towering over the wretched beasts. "Why?"

"Pitch Black is no longer our master," someone said. "He has fallen."

The Monkey King tossed the rock to the ground. "Fallen. Dead?"

"Not dead. He failed to defeat the Guardians. The Fearlings have left him. He controls the dark things no more."

That was an interesting development. Perhaps he could use it to his advantage. But first… "How do I know you are loyal to me?" inquired the Monkey King.

"We have returned!"

He lashed out a clawed hand at the one who spoke, sending him sprawling onto the ground. "I need more than mere words! How can you _prove_ your loyalty to me?"

The monkeys looked at each other uneasily, afraid to voice any opinion other than their master's. Slowly, someone took a step forward. "We could destroy Pitch Black. He is weak now. He could easily be defeated."

The Monkey King glared. "You find it _appeasing_ to me to prey on the weak? You think you will _prove_ yourselves to me by destroying that which is weak?" he demanded. "Besides, he is _mine_ to finish."

"What about…?"

"Spit it out!"

"What about if we attack the North Pole?" suggested the same monkey. "It's only a few months until Christmas. If we destroy the toys, belief will be lost in the Guardians and they will lose power. They will be easy to defeat then."

The Monkey King carefully considered the proposal. It was a sound plan. He liked it. He could cause the Guardians pain, make them suffer.

"Yes!" he seethed. "We go to the Pole!"

* * *

"You can't ignore them forever," said Pitch as he gazed up at the lights in the sky. They'd been going on for some time now.

"Can't I just pretend I didn't see them?" Jack sighed. He didn't know if he could handle the Guardians at the moment. He still had too much to sort out.

"If you keep ignoring them, that'll only make them come looking for you. Do you really want that?"

Jack just shrugged. He didn't know what he wanted anymore. Everything was just so confusing. "What am I supposed to say when I see them? They're just going to ask questions I don't have the answers to. And what about you?"

"What about me?"

"What am I supposed to tell them about you?" Jack asked. "You're not…the same person you were months ago. We're both having memory issues. Not to mention the Fearlings are running loose. And who knows what sort of revenge they might have planned for you."

Pitch gave a small smile. "Is the little winter spirit worried about me?"

"Yes!" That one word took both of them by surprise. But Jack continued all the same. "I really think I am. You're worried about me, too, right?"

Pitch nodded. "Yes, but for the life of me I can't figure out why."

"Same here," Jack replied. "But you've been helping me. You've listened to me. I let you see a part of me I don't let _anyone_ see; I let you see me cry…break down. And you comforted me. No questions asked. That's more than I've gotten in a _very_ long time."

"Why do you have to make things so sappy and awkward?" Pitch groaned. "Just because we bonded a _little_ bit does not make us friends. Acquaintances, maybe. But not friends."

Now _that_ was the Pitch Black he knew. "Do you realize you start to get defensive when things get emotional?"

"Do you realize you get annoying when you jabber on about touchy-feely nonsense?"

"Whatever you say, Pitch," Jack chuckled. Perhaps that was his way of showing affection? It was strange how he was starting to like Pitch's company, however. "But seriously, what should I do? I don't know what to do."

"Go to the Guardians and talk to _them_. You're one on them now. They're going to listen to you," replied Pitch.

"Can I even consider myself a Guardian? I based _everything_ off of those memories. The Man in the Moon chose me as a Guardian. I didn't understand why until I saw those memories. But now that they're gone, I don't believe that I'm really a Guardian anymore. Why did the Man in the Moon have to choose me in the first place?"

Pitch stared at him peculiarly for a minute, a sudden question nagging at his mind. "What do you remember from when you first woke as Jack Frost?"

Jack was dumbfounded by the question. He hadn't expected to be asked that. "I remember it being dark…and cold…and I was scared. And then I remember seeing the moon and everything—all of that—just went away. I came out of my pond through the ice. He told me my name was Jack Frost. That was it."

"You came out of the pond?"

"Yeah. My memories showed me that I'd died saving my sister's life. In that pond. I'd drowned. But…those memories aren't real anymore," he said sadly.

"Impossible," whispered Pitch, his thoughts racing a mile a minute.

"What's impossible?"

"Have you discussed this with the other Guardians?"

"No. Why? What's impossible?" Jack repeated.

"This is the first time I've heard of the Man in the Moon bringing someone back from the dead. That, to my knowledge, has _never_ been done. By _anyone_. It's beyond any of our abilities, _including_ the Man in the Moon," Pitch stated critically.

It didn't make any sense. "Then what does that make me?" And where had he come from? Who was he?

"I wish I knew," answered Pitch. "But then that means…he might be the one responsible…for giving you false memories."

Jack inhaled sharply. The Man in the Moon? But he was the one who'd created him, given him life. Why would he do such a thing? But even the Man in the Moon's reasons for doing things was shrouded in mystery. "How would we know for sure? If he was responsible, I mean."

"We'd have to talk to Sanderson," replied Pitch. "Other than myself, he's ancient. If anyone would know _something_, it would be him. There are gaps in my own memories. Sanderson's should at least be consistent."

"What if we talk to the Man in the Moon?"

"I highly doubt he would talk to _me_," Pitch spat. "And he hasn't spoken to you in three hundred years. What makes you think he'd do so now?"

Jack sighed. This was getting nowhere. Perhaps he _should_ talk to the other Guardians. "I think I'm going to speak with them."

Pitch nodded, fully understanding what Jack meant.

"I want you to come with me," he added.

The Nightmare King looked into Jack's eyes, noticing the seriousness held within them. "Why?"

"I'm not gonna remember everything you've said and you're more…eloquent than I am with this stuff. You know more than I do. And I don't want to leave you here alone. What if the Fearlings come after you while I'm gone?"

"The most they would do is make me relive my darkest moments," replied Pitch. "They won't possess me again. I'm of no use to them anymore. As of right now they're probably looking for their next victim."

"You mean someone to possess?"

"Yes. Someone who knows betrayal. Someone who's easy to manipulate. Someone who could become powerful," he said as his voice trailed off. He looked at Jack. "Someone…like _you_."

Jack frowned. He wasn't easy to manipulate. That was just insulting. "Come again?"

Pitch just stared at him. Was that why he'd wanted to protect Jack when he'd found him? Was that why he was so adamant about getting him away from the Fearlings? Jack would be the perfect person for their possession, especially since his powers had grown so significantly. He'd be the perfect tool for them. He'd be so powerful. Worse, even, then he himself had been.

The Nightmare King strolled up to the winter spirit and grabbed him by the shoulders. "You're everything that they would want," he said, looking at him anxiously. "But I won't let them take you. I can't let them have you." To corrupt something so innocent, so pure, was maddening to him. A strange feeling came over his senses. He needed to guard this boy. With his life if it came down to it.

"You're kind of freaking me out right now," Jack stated earnestly. Pitch was starting to get that concerned and caring yet overprotective look in his eyes again. The winter spirit didn't know whether to be happy about that or worried.

"I need to protect you for her."

There it was again. The _her_. "Who's her, Pitch?" he asked, but the Nightmare King's eyes seemed to cloud over. "Pitch?"

The older spirit shook his head as if to clear it. "It's gone again." He'd been about to remember, but it had faded once more. Perhaps he needed to have a word with Toothiana. She _was_ the Guardian of Memories, after all. He released his hold of the winter spirit. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault if you can't remember," Jack said quietly. But he desperately wanted to know who this _her_ person was. And why did Pitch suddenly become overwhelmed with the need to protect him for her.

"I'll go with you to see the Guardians," announced Pitch, staring at the winter spirit seriously. "I can't promise things will go well. My priority is protecting you. From anyone. That includes the Guardians. Do you understand me?"

Jack nodded. "Then let's go."

Pitch smirked. "We'll go _my _way this time," he said, grabbing Jack's arm. Sand swirled around them as they disappeared into the shadows.

* * *

**Author's Note – Again, I promise lots of action in the next chapter. I'm still working on it and I will get it out to you as soon as I can!**


	8. Attack of the North Pole

Disclaimer – I do not own _Rise of the Guardians_

*Rated T for Teen (Unless Otherwise Noted; Rating Might Go Up)

* * *

**Author's Note:** Okay. Time for a lengthy author's note. I've had several reviews and PMs asking if this fic will be BlackIce and I am here to say that no, it will not. Their relationship will be different in this fic. If you want BlackIce, please refer to some of my other fics or send me a PM for a BlackIce requests if you really want one from me. I will try to make it happen! :)

Now, I feel like I rewrote this chapter a thousand times before I got it to my liking. I hope you enjoy it! And I think I promised some action, right? Right!

* * *

**Attack of the North Pole**

"Great. We go to ask the Man in the Moon a question and the clouds block him out," grumbled Bunny as he glared at the clouds. Maybe if he willed it strongly enough, they would dissipate.

"What are we going to do?" started Tooth. She was extremely worried about the Fearlings. And Jack. What if the Fearlings had gotten to him?

North sighed and crossed his arms. "We will have to speak with Man in Moon later."

Tooth fluttered around. "Should we go looking for Jack again?"

North nodded. "Yes, we—."

"Oh, there's no need for that," came a silky voice from behind them.

The Guardians spun around, only to see Pitch staring at them from the shadows. They immediately reached for their weapons.

"Pitch," North ground out. "What are you doing here? Have you come to see if Fearlings have gotten us yet?"

"By the looks of it, it seems that they haven't," Pitch replied as he clasped his hands behind his back. "However, that's not why I'm here."

Bunny didn't care why Pitch was here. He was tired of the dark spirit always making a mess of things, of ruining lives. "Get lost, mate, before we make ya."

"Guys, chill!" said Jack as he came out from behind Pitch. He looked a bit dizzy. "Remind me not to eat anything if we do that again," he mumbled to Pitch as he clutched his head.

The Nightmare King tried to hide a grin. Traveling by the shadows was tricky. He'd actually been surprised Jack had handled it so well.

The Guardians gawked at the winter spirit. What was he doing with Pitch?

"You took Jack!" North declared, brandishing his weapons. "Give him back."

Pitch resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I did no such thing."

"Like we'd believe ya," growled Bunny. Gripping his boomerang in one paw tightly, he threw it at the Nightmare King with all his might.

Pitch's eyes widened as the wooden weapon flew at him with great rapidity. He hadn't expected to be attacked right out. Raising his nightmare sand like a shield, he protected himself from the onslaught. However, it seemed the wrong thing to do. The Guardians took it as him attacking them.

Bunny picked up his discarded boomerang and charged the dark spirit, North right behind him. He slashed at the nightmare sand Pitch kept using to protect himself. But while he was busy with the attacks from Bunny and North, he failed to see Sandy approach him from the side. Golden sand whips lashed out at him.

"No!"

The Nightmare King cringed, bracing himself for the blow from the dream sand, but it never came. Instead, he heard the soft sound of cracking. Opening his eyes, he saw a large wall of ice in front of him, the attacks that had been aimed at him stalled by the frozen shield. Jack had protected him.

Pitch gave the winter spirit behind him a grateful look. Taking his nightmare sand, he shattered the ice. "Are you quite finished?"

The other Guardians, however, weren't paying him much mind. They were too busy trying to figure out what had happened. Why had Jack stopped them?

"Jack?" started Tooth.

The winter spirit stepped forward, looking at them uneasily. Maybe bringing Pitch hadn't been such a good idea. He didn't know that they'd just up and attack him like that. Pitch hadn't even done anything.

"I never thought you guys would be the ones to make the first move," Jack stated quietly, looking unsure of himself and the others.

"He was gonna attack us! Ya saw his nightmare sand!" said Bunny.

Jack glared at him. "He was protecting himself! From _you_! You attacked first!"

"What the bloody heck are ya doin' with him anyway?" Bunny yelled back.

Jack suddenly lost his voice, not sure where to begin. He looked to Pitch for help. Sighing, the Nightmare King spoke for him. "We came to talk."

"Talk? We ain't talkin', mate. Now give Jack back."

_Here we go again_, he thought. "What on earth makes you think I took him?" Pitch questioned, brow raised.

"If you did not take Jack, then why is he with you?" North replied, hands gripping his swords firmly once more.

Jack was growing anxious. If only he could find the right words to say. It wasn't supposed to happen like this.

Pitch felt the winter spirit's fear spike. This wasn't good. "Getting worked up is not helping this situation," he said to the Guardians. "If you would just calm yourselves so that we may speak civilly, maybe this conversation will actually _get_ somewhere."

"Civilly?" started Bunny. "Since when are ya civil about anythin'? Come here, Jack." Bunny quickly grabbed the winter spirit's arm and yanked him away from Pitch's side, causing Jack to drop his staff.

"Let go," said Jack, panic lacing his voice. The temperature was beginning to drop. And quickly. He needed his staff. Bunny needed to let him go.

"What're ya doin'?" Bunny demanded as ice began forming on his fur. "Jack—oof!" The Pooka found himself lying on the floor. Pitch had knocked him away with his nightmare sand.

The Guardians were about to retaliate when they suddenly paused by what they were seeing. They watched speechlessly when Pitch quickly made his way over to Jack. He gripped the winter spirit's face in his hands.

"Look at me," he said gently. "Calm yourself. Do the breathing, like I taught you. Good. Very good." His sand brought him Jack's staff, which he placed back in the winter spirit's hands.

"Jack?" called Tooth worriedly, her voice filled with alarm. She saw the look on his face. It was like Tooth Palace all over again. But she just couldn't wrap her mind around why it seemed like Pitch was assisting him.

"Shh," Pitch hissed at her. "You're not helping."

Jack swallowed hard as he tried to calm himself. His staff was back with him. There was no need to panic now. But in that brief moment of distress, he could have frozen everyone. The temperature had dropped so quickly. Too quickly this time.

"Jack," Pitch called firmly. The winter spirit's blue eyes finally met his. "It's all right. You're fine. _Everyone_ is fine."

Letting out a shaky breath, Jack nodded. "I'm okay now," he said and Pitch finally let him go. Jack turned away from him to see the damage that he'd done. It wasn't as bad as he'd expected, but it was severe considering it had only happened in a matter of seconds.

A thin layer of frost covered the entire room and he noticed the other Guardians shivering. Sitting up on the floor was Bunny, his left arm encased in ice and his fur covered in frost.

"I'm sorry," Jack said quietly as he raised his staff. He shattered the ice around Bunny's arm and defrosted the room. "I didn't mean it."

Everyone observed the exchange oddly. All save Sandy. He was too busy looking at Pitch. Something seemed different about him, but he couldn't quite place his finger on it.

Pitch took a deep breath as he tried to pacify his anger. The foolish Pooka had nearly forced Jack into having another uncontrolled accident. If anything had happened, Jack would have only withdrawn in himself further. And he would _not_ let that happen.

"_Never_ do that again," said Pitch menacingly. "Do you understand me? You put everyone at risk."

Bunny stood up and gaped at him. "Never do what?"

"Startle him like that!" the Nightmare King snapped. "You're lucky that freezing your arm was the worst thing that happened."

"What do ya mean?"

"I'm…a bit…unstable at the moment," Jack interceded, casting his eyes elsewhere. "I was starting to panic when you guys were fighting…and I dropped my staff. I couldn't control it. And please…don't argue." He desperately wanted all of them to be able to talk things through.

Tooth looked to Pitch apprehensively before she flew to Jack. She hugged him. "It's all right. And we'll…_try_ not to argue. We're just concerned that—."

"He arrived with me," Pitch finished for her. "I can assure you that I mean none of you any harm, especially Jack."

Bunny snorted. "I find that hard to believe."

"Believe what you want," Pitch snapped. "But frankly, we have more important things to discuss."

"We do," agreed North, eyes narrowed. "Like why Jack is with you."

"I asked him to come with me," Jack cut in. "I've…kinda been with him the past few days."

"What? Why?" demanded North.

Pitch opened his mouth to speak, but Jack beat him to it. "After…the accident at Tooth Palace, I went to Burgess. And I found Pitch by my pond. He was hurt…bad. And he was rambling."

"I was not rambling!" Pitch protested.

"You were blathering like a crazy person!"

"I was not!"

"Hey, I'm the one telling the story!"

"Then tell it right!"

"You wanna do it?"

"Fine!" Pitch retorted. "Jack found me in the woods. I'd just escaped the lair. He found me. But the Fearlings were coming."

"We went to Antarctica," added Jack. "Pitch was in bad shape. So I came here to…borrow a few things from the infirmary. North almost caught me. But he took me for cocoa. And I had my…second accident."

"Which was when he came back to me," Pitch said quietly.

"Yeah, yeah. This is a fun story and all, but get to the point," said Bunny. "And why were ya even helpin' that monster in the first place. Don't ya remember what happened a few months ago?"

"Of course I do!" snapped Jack. "But things are different now! He's not the same!"

Sandy's head snapped up. So he _had _been right about something being off.

Suddenly, Pitch found himself face to face with Sandy. The small man stared at him hard, as if searching for something. After what seemed like forever, Sandy's eyes lit up. Apparently, he'd found what he'd been looking for. He turned toward the others and made an image of a general and then a galaxy.

North was the one who got it. "Kozmotis," he said. His eyes met the Nightmare King's.

Pitch looked hard at North, his golden eyes troubled. But he gave a curt nod.

Bunny raised a fluffy brow. Kozmotis? As in Kozmotis Pitchiner? Just what was Pitch trying to pull? "You are _not _Kozmotis Pitchiner."

Pitch smiled sadly. "Maybe not entirely. As I told Jack, there are now two beings within me. One being Kozmotis Pitchiner and the other being Pitch Black. I am both and I am neither," he said. "They released me. The Fearlings let me go. Jack was there when it happened. He knows my story as Kozmotis. And I'm surprised you never told him."

"I don't believe ya," stated Bunny grimly. If the Fearlings really did let him go, why was he still all…Pitch Black-like?

"And I don't expect you to," replied Pitch. "I'm aware of what I have done since becoming Pitch Black. I have my humanity once again. I can't change the past. And I will have to live forever with this guilt until it consumes me completely. But until then, my sole purpose is protecting Jack."

Tooth put a hand to her lips. "Protecting Jack from what?"

"Everyone!" Pitch growled. "Until I find out who is behind this, I trust none of you! I care for none of you! Jack's well-being comes before _any_ of you!"

"Find out who's behind what? Do you mean the teeth?" questioned Tooth. "Jack's teeth?"

"Pitch?" Jack looked to him for silent permission. With a brief nod, the winter spirit answered for him. "Not only that. But Pitch believes that the Man in the Moon is the one behind my false memories."

Sandy slapped a fist to his palm. So he _had_ been correct. But then why would the Man in the Moon do such a thing?

Pitch seemed to understand his unspoken question. "I don't know why. All we do know is that Jack has no memories of who he was before he became Jack Frost and I have gaps within my own."

"Gaps? What you mean gaps?" asked North, intrigued.

The Nightmare King sighed. "I remember everything up until the Dark Ages ended. Then my memory is a blank. It's as if something clouds my mind. As soon as I seem to latch onto a small piece of a memory, it slips away again."

"You remember nothing after Dark Ages?" North questioned incredulously.

"Only…only what happened a few months ago."

"So you've got about a thousand years of memory loss?" Bunny questioned skeptically. "I don't think so, mate."

"A thousand?" Jack shouted. "The Dark Ages ended a thousand years ago?"

"Give or take a century," said Pitch. "There are discrepancies amongst human historians."

"I thought it was only a few hundred!"

"I didn't have the heart to correct you," replied the Nightmare King sincerely. He knew how Jack felt about knowing nothing of whatever previous life he may have had. He understood how Jack felt about desperately wanting his memories. Letting the winter spirit know that he couldn't remember about a thousand year's worth of time was something Jack would struggle with; he'd try to empathize with him. And Pitch didn't want that. "You were already having a rough day. I knew it would have bothered you."

That meant Pitch had about a thousand years unaccounted for. That tugged at Jack's heart. He didn't know why. Had Pitch been alone all that time? How terrifying it must be to have so much time lost.

"You guys can't really be takin' him seriously," declared Bunny. "How do we know this just isn't some sort of trick you're tryin' to pull?"

"Because the Fearlings no longer control me," said Pitch, approaching Bunny maliciously. "They are out there—on their own—looking for their next victim of possession. And I believe they want Jack."

Tooth gasped. "Why would they want him?"

"What goes together better than cold and dark?" Pitch replied cryptically. Jack remembered those words, but they held an entirely different meaning now. "Jack's become _extremely _powerful whether you realize it or not. If the Fearlings were to possess him, I'm afraid there would be no stopping him. Compared to me, Jack would be the _real_ nightmare. The Dark Ages would have been nothing. Imagine a new Ice Age filled with darkness."

The winter spirit closed his eyes. He already knew what he was capable of when his emotions took over. But for darkness to consume him, there was no telling what he could do.

Bunny was having a hard time accepting all of this. If it was true, he felt cheated. How could he get justice for his race being destroyed by Pitch Black if the man standing in front of him wasn't entirely Pitch Black anymore?

"I don't like this," said Bunny. "Even if what ya say is true, I don't think I can get all buddy-buddy with ya. You've _killed_ people Pitch; ya destroyed the Pooka, my race. I can _never_ forgive ya for somethin' like that. How could we ever trust ya?"

"I understand," started Pitch solemnly. Eliminating the Pooka was one of the worst things he had ever done in his time as Pitch Black.

"I've killed people," Jack cut in unsurely. "And you trust me…I think."

Bunny's hardened gaze faltered. "What?"

North and Sandy frowned at the boy and Tooth covered her mouth in horror. Pitch just sighed knowingly; he knew what Jack meant purely by the fear he was giving off.

Tooth overcame her shock. "What do you mean Jack?" Surely the winter spirit wasn't a murderer. Not like Pitch.

Jack steeled himself for their rejection. "In the beginning, I didn't know what was going on. All I knew was that my name was Jack Frost and I could make ice and snow. No one was there to teach me anything. And any little spike in my emotions and I lost control. I've unintentionally created blizzards that have wiped out villages, formed icebergs that have sunk ships. Many people have _died_ because of me."

"But you didn't _mean_ to, Jack," said North. "_That_ is difference."

The winter spirit shook his head. "Kozmotis Pitchiner didn't mean for all of the devastation Pitch Black caused. Pitch Black was something out of Kozmotis's control. Kind of like me and my powers. I never meant for any of it to happen, but it did because it was something out of my control. Doesn't that sort of make me and Pitch the same?

"I have to live with the lives I've taken for the rest of my life. I have to live with the fact that I've watched people freeze to death from my storms, drowned in the icy waters from when their ships hit my icebergs. How does that make me any different than Pitch?"

Bunny wanted to argue his reasoning, but he didn't know how. To a degree, the kid had a point. Kozmotis Pitchiner had been a good man. He'd been possessed by a thousand Fearlings, turning him into Pitch Black. All of who he had once been had been purged from his mind; he'd been wiped clean. He'd become Pitch Black, not knowing who he'd been before. Kozmotis was not responsible for what Pitch had done. They were two completely different people.

But now they were one and the same.

"I think I get what ya mean, mate," said Bunny with a sigh. "But I still don't like it."

North scratched his chin, staring from Jack to Pitch and back again. There was something odd about the way Pitch was treating the winter spirit. And by looking into his eyes, he could now tell that the man cared for the boy. And that was all he needed to be convinced. "If Jack trusts Pitch, so do I."

Pitch's eyes widened in surprise.

"But one false move and I chop off arms," North added, pointing a sword at the Nightmare King.

Pitch finally allowed himself to give them a real smile. It seemed to change the aura about the room. Somehow, it lifted their spirits, gave them courage. "Thank you. For giving me this chance."

Jack grinned. Things were slowly starting to work themselves out.

_BOOM!_

Everyone jumped at the sound of the explosion. The ground rumbled beneath them and the windows shook.

"What the bloody heck was that?" started Bunny.

Pitch whipped around, dread overcoming him. "It seems I've lost them, too."

"Lost who?" asked Jack.

"When the Fearlings released me, I lost control over all manner of dark creatures. All I have under my control are the shadows and my nightmare sand." Another explosion sounded. It was closer this time. "This isn't good," ground out Pitch. He disappeared into the shadows.

"Pitch!" Jack called out.

"I think he went outside," said Tooth. "Should we follow?"

"Well, I sure as heck ain't stayin' in here to find out what's goin' on out there," replied Bunny. The Guardians left the workshop and stepped outside.

Jack let the wind fly him around in order to see who might be causing all of the commotion. What he didn't expect to see, however, was a horde of giant monkeys charging them.

"Get out of here," demanded Pitch when Jack landed beside him.

"I'm not going anywhere," said Jack.

"Jack, please. You don't know what we're up against here."

"I'm not leaving."

Realizing he would not convince the winter spirit otherwise, he gave in. "Fine. But you stay by _my_ side. Understood?"

Jack nodded. There was no way he was leaving the Guardians right now. The North Pole was in danger.

"Guardians, it's been a long time."

Tooth gasped when she saw a familiar face step forth from the army of monkeys. It couldn't be true. He'd been defeated! "The Monkey King."

"Toothiana," the Monkey King ground out. "What a pleasure it is to see you again. And who else do we have here? Sanderson Mansnoozie, E. Aster Bunnymund, Nicholas St. North…and what do we have here? Pitch Black? Have you become a wretched Guardian as well?"

The Nightmare King stiffened. "Hardly," he said, taking a step forward so that Jack was somewhat behind him.

This only drew the Monkey King's attention to the winter spirit. "And who is this?" he asked. He looked back to Pitch. "One of yours?"

Pitch now fully stood in front of the Monkey King. "What are you doing here?"

The Monkey King ignored the question. He was too interested in the fact that Pitch Black the Nightmare King seemed to be protecting a spirit. Why was that? "I'll tell you," he replied slowly, "if you tell me who your little spirit is."

Pitch clenched his jaw shut.

"I'm Jack Frost," said Jack as he gripped his staff tightly in his hands.

The Monkey King noticed the movement. Quickly, he darted around Pitch and stood face to face with the winter spirit. He had to be new, a young one. "Jack Frost. What can you do, hm?" he hummed as he reached for Jack.

That was when the winter spirit lashed out. He showered the Monkey King in ice, causing him to stagger backward.

Taken by surprise, the Monkey King grounded himself and stared menacingly at the boy. The staff. The spirit had used the staff to assault him. "How _dare_ you!" he screamed, fleeing back to his horde. "Attack! Attack the Pole!"

Another explosion rang out, followed by another.

"Where did they come from?" said Bunny as he turned around. Another large horde of monkeys had somehow appeared behind them. And they were blowing up the workshop. The Monkey King's little show had only been a distraction.

"Look out!" cried Tooth when the other half of the monkeys started charging them. They attacked with all their might. Kicking, scratching, biting; they were trying to draw the Guardians away from the workshop.

Bunny fought tooth and nail, but it seemed hopeless. "There's too many of them!"

Black sand lashed out and threw the three monkeys that had been attacking the Pooka onto the ground. "You're welcome," said Pitch before heading off in another direction. He'd been separated from Jack. He needed to find him. Lashing out at several more opponents, he finally spotted the winter spirit. He'd been drawn away by the Monkey King.

"Look at you, little spirit," taunted the Monkey King as he jumped around Jack. "Is that all you've got?"

Jack knew he had a lot more power than he was letting on, but he was afraid of losing control. What if he hurt his friends as well as their enemies?

"You're afraid! What are you afraid of?" the Monkey King asked. If only he could get hold of that staff. Out of everyone here, the little winter spirit would be the most dangerous. Did he even know that? But if he got the staff…

"Get away from him!" shouted Pitch. His sand formed into a scythe. He lashed out at the Monkey King, but the primate was too fast for him.

Smirking, the Monkey King finally understood. Pitch Black cared for the winter spirit. Well, then. He knew how to hurt him now. Playtime was over. It was almost time.

The Monkey King dashed around Pitch and lunged at Jack, knocking the boy to the ground. He gripped the staff and tried to yank it away, yet to no avail. Oh, well. There was more than one way to get it.

"Ow!" Jack yelped. He let go of his staff. It had burned him. He glanced up at the Monkey King to find him grinning madly.

"There are advantages to being from the jungle. Creating a little heat to harm a winter spirit is nothing."

"Give it back!" Jack shouted as he jumped to his feet. Pitch was there right beside him, ready to wrestle the primate to the ground if he needed to.

"Come any closer and I'll break it," said the Monkey King, his eyes hardening.

Jack gasped. He remembered what it had felt like when his staff had been broken. He didn't want to go through that again.

Pitch glared at the Monkey King. "What do you want?"

"What do I want?" the Monkey King echoed. "What do I _want_? I want to _hurt_ you, Pitch Black. I want you to _suffer_. And I think I know how to go about doing that," he said, casting his gaze to the winter spirit.

Pitch froze.

"I've been practicing a few little tricks while I've been in my prison. This," he said, summoning a ball of fire in his hand, "is one of them. It took such a long time to create magic, to control it. Now that I have, I think I should test it out. What do you think?"

"Please don't," Jack whimpered when he saw the Monkey King bring the flame to his staff.

"No!" cried Pitch. "I'll do whatever you want, just give the staff back."

"I don't need anything from you, Pitch. But I will give back the staff," said the Monkey King before he set the staff on fire. Jack screamed as he collapsed to the ground writhing in pain. The staff, consumed by flames, incinerated within seconds. The only remains were ashes that gently blew across the snow. "I never said I'd give it back in one piece."

Several more explosions sounded and the Monkey King grinned. "It seems my work here today is finished," he cackled before taking off.

Pitch ran over to Jack and knelt next to him. "Jack?" he called, stroking the winter spirit's face.

"It hurts, Pitch! It hurts! Make it stop!" Jack exclaimed as he struggled on the ground.

"I know, I know," Pitch whispered. His heart pounded painfully. He didn't know what to do. Gently, he brushed some strands of hair out of Jack's eyes.

"It's gone!" Jack sobbed. "I can feel it! Make it go away! Make the pain go away!"

"I'll make it go away," Pitch said. "But I'll have to make you go to sleep. No nightmares, I promise. No dreams, either. It'll just be darkness, but there will be no pain."

Jack tried to swallow, but the lump in his throat only grew bigger. He nodded. "Just no more pain," he cried, tears running down his face.

Pitch placed a shaky hand over the boy's eyes and let his nightmare sand do its work, putting Jack into a deep sleep. He would only awaken now when Pitch allowed it.

When the winter spirit finally fell unconscious, Pitch rested his forehead on the younger spirit's, a tear escaping his eye. "I'm so sorry, Jack. I couldn't protect you. I'm so, so sorry." The pain that had been in his eyes was absolutely devastating. It terrified him.

Sniffing, Pitch rubbed his eyes furiously. Now was not the time to get emotional. He had to help Jack. Scooping the winter spirit up in his arms, he headed back for the workshop, toward the others.

* * *

The Monkey King and his horde had left.

North stared at the ruins of his workshop. Everything had been destroyed. There were no toys. There was no sleigh. There was no workshop. His home was gone.

The yetis and elves looked at the smoldering remains of their residence in sadness. North's reindeer wandered aimlessly around them.

"This is horrible," cried Tooth. There was nothing left.

Bunny limped over to North and put a paw on the man's shoulder.

"It's all gone," whispered North, his eyes filled with pain. "Everything is gone." Christmas was ruined.

This was really bad. "At least we have each other," commented Bunny. No one seemed to be hurt. And they could always rebuild. It would take a lot of work and time, but it could be done.

Sandy approached the large man and gave him an encouraging smile as if to say all was not lost. North gave him a slow nod. "We can fix it. Must not lose hope."

"Oh, my—Jack!" shouted Tooth. She flew over to Pitch, who was carrying Jack in his arms. "What on earth happened?"

Pitch stopped walking when the Guardians turned their attention to him and the winter spirit.

Bunny glanced at the winter spirit's face and noticed black sand. "What the heck did ya do to him?" he demanded, reaching for Jack.

Pitch moved away from him and gripped the winter spirit tighter. "I had to put him to sleep!" he snapped, tears stinging his eyes again. His voice was filled with grief. "He was in so much pain. I had to make him sleep."

"Pain?" North started. "Why? What happened?"

"He…he destroyed his staff," Pitch exhaled. "Incinerated it. Nothing…but ashes. He was in so much pain. But it's gone. It's gone. Can't fix it."

Noticing that Pitch might be on the verge of a panic attack, Sandy came to his aid. He placed a hand on the dark spirit's shoulder and nodded in encouragement.

Pitch took a deep, calming breath. "The Monkey King destroyed Jack's staff," he said finally. "It's gone. He felt it. Jack felt it. He was in pain. I put him to sleep to get rid of the pain."

Sandy stared down at Jack for a moment. There was no sign of a nightmare, or a dream, for that matter. Jack was just in a state of dreamless sleep. He turned to face the other Guardians, creating an image of Jack with Zs above his head.

"So he is just sleeping," said North. And Sandy nodded.

"They're coming," said Pitch as his voice cracked. "It's not safe here."

"Who's coming?" asked Tooth. Were the monkeys returning?

"The Fearlings. They're coming here. I can feel it. They must have sensed what was going on. I need to get him somewhere safe, somewhere they can't reach him," answered Pitch, slightly panicked. "I need to take him home."

"Home? To the kid's pond? Ya really think that's a good idea?" questioned Bunny. If Jack was hurt so badly, they needed to go somewhere he could be taken care of properly.

Pitch shook his head. "No. I need to take him home," he repeated.

North was getting a bit frustrated. "We do not understand where home is."

A strange look crossed Pitch's face, a flicker of realization in his eyes. "Home. Where the darkness and moon can't touch him."

"Look, I know we need to leave and all, but if ya don't tell us where, we can't go anywhere," stated Bunny.

"And I have no sleigh or snow globes to take us," replied North sadly.

"I'll take you. All of you," said Pitch as he stepped closer to them. "I think I have enough energy for this."

He summoned his nightmare sand around all of them, including the yetis, elves and reindeer, until he was sure they were all within his grasp. Then he summoned the shadows and they disappeared.

* * *

**Author's Note – This was such a long chapter, I know. But I hope you enjoyed it. Did you like where I left off? There will be a lot more interesting stuff coming your way!**


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